welcome to the lower show really get the real headlines with none of the mersey we live out of washington d.c. now and i will ask what a downgrade for the u.s. credit rating could actually meet as both moody's and s. and p. throw around more threats or to fill you in with the latest details of a hunger strike that's going on in california's prisons some say that they are willing to die if that's the only way to change the system and the bloated defense budget all that military waste but we talk about all the time today we're going to

give you a great example of a project gone wrong that could cost you six hundred billion dollars we're going to have all of that and more in tonight's show including a dose of happy hour but first let's take a look at what the mainstream media has decided to miss. you know there's a lot going on in the world these days but for some reason the mainstream media hasn't gotten the memo that things which are not of actual apocalyptic proportions don't deserve apocalyptic end of the world type names case in point. this is your. peers around in high school that of course the classic highway to hell but you do see later today after weeks of warnings and anxiety and even fears of landslides ten miles of one of america's busiest freeways the four o five will be shut down and drivers buckling up carmageddon bridge demolition

going to close down the four or five one of l.a.'s busiest highways. are now let me give a little bit of explanation here i'm from l.a. so i understand that this is going to be a big deal going to affect a lot of people over the weekend when the four of five a shutdown or five is one of the busiest freeways that connects los angeles to a really large portion of the rest of california and a lot of people are probably going to be completely out of luck when it comes to getting to work or just getting around in general so car mageddon as they're calling it is going to be big. in los angeles but if you live anywhere else in the country then why the hell would you care about this why does need to be national news because you get to play highway to hell and have a little laugh about it you know if only the media treated the economic situation that our country is in as a scenario of apocalyptic proportions or how about the fact that they don't talk about the wars that we're fighting abroad that have a lot to do with bankrupting this country will not be something well here's some

news from you for you from our ever expanding and costly war front there are reports out today that american drones and fighter jets and a police station in southern yemen and suspected al qaeda fighters have overrun the reports very for now as to the damage done in the death toll some say that eight alleged militants were killed a c.n.n. report said the body count is fifty and that's because some sources count at least thirty civilians were hiding out from the continuous attacks and the family members of the suspected militants were also were in the area some point all of the details are going to come out as to exactly how many lives were lost but there's one thing that's very clear right at this moment there are air war in yemen is only expanding and of course all reports always come from anonymous officials because well they're not allowed to talk about it but it's not something this industry can continue to act like we're idiots like we don't know that shadow wars are being waged on our behalf in a number of countries so they just pretend like it never happened you know i want i

want iraq obama to come out stand his podium in the white house tell us about the drone strikes in the air attacks that are ordered in yemen in pakistan even in somalia i think an answer from the administration jeremy scahill is latest report which we spoke about yesterday about the secret sites the cia has in somalia i want to know whether the practices of rendition and torture black sites all those things that he chided the bush administration for and promised to end don't know if they're still going on but we're never going to get an answer to any of that because those people who may actually have the opportunity. to speak to the president himself those cowards in the mainstream media who have decided to ignore scales report the reports of the strike in yemen today they would never ever be bothered to ask our worldwide counterterrorism policies are something that they prefer to simply miss.

i'll fall titian's continue to bicker and snipe about the looming debt ceiling debate calling each other names storming out of rooms people aside from the media have started to take notice you know it's not wall street it still seems cools and cucumber it's the ratings agencies who started think the unthinkable the historic u.s. downgrade on wednesday moody's place the united states triple bond rating on quote a review for a possible downgrade i warned that even if the u.s. did raise the debt ceiling that might not be enough to save the u.s. is aaa rating and if that wasn't enough yesterday the s. and p. announced that there was a substantial likelihood that they would downgrade the u.s. rating in the next three months as to meeting the probability of the u.s. losing out rating at a whopping fifty percent so with all of that talk of a potential downgrade for the u.s. well that actually mean for you and i and for the u.s. economy as a whole joining me to discuss this is michael pentode senior economist for euro

pacific capital michael pleasure to have you back on the show tonight. try me what you think first of all should the u.s. rating aaa rating be downgraded. well she's had a long time ago as a matter of fact at the s. and p. five hundred and raise ny state because pete greek debt ceiling at least. if we actually read. that would be interest for me to downgrade united states because we can't work forty dollars worth of debt that we already have and they say they raise the debt ceiling acidy some side released early i think if they don't raise straight on this will be our spirits billionaire. so when do you think that americans actually realize i mean what do you mean when you say austerity and let's break it down first between what with our stare to be if the

debt ceiling isn't raised and what would it actually look like for average americans if the credit rating of the u.s. was downgraded. i look at it very. late and. very much i mean they look really close we're. right here are just. things and come along i believe there's a fifty fifty chance that we dog you all and. truly are liberal or. if. you're. going to either way we're going to. actually make you can. play sheriff. actual or do. we deserve

a healing process i say bring you all who are rallying and who deserves it mike i mean is it the american people that deserve this and it is their doing their civic duty paying their tax dollars or is it the politicians that have been overspending . american government life's a line politicians are americans and we all pulled it. out we pulled it out we. are looking to change the way god that we should. and the paper see when you have the. money supply that will. be healing. a depression. and aid. a leak little seizure louis or.

before some. say this. to. anybody. do you think the politicians are being honest with the american people when they say what that medicine would actually look like because of the moment it seems like a lot of grandstanding a lot of posturing to pretend like they have certain principles but come on there's no way that they're going to let us be fought on a debt because once three doesn't want any part on its debt. well osprey goes it became what happens i was pretty good faith a lot of what happens in washington will get the only place in right now we have a heartbeat. eighty seven. i do see a lot bayonne godsent keep eight increase in revenue and you're not

a good deal from obama if the possibility cuts were actually it was the spending and their policy saying i am not going to raise while our resident here is so he'll take a step early stuck at eighty eight eighty eight surely dollars to carry stock we to the elections in november two thousand but was that we were being. told. like they're still rebuilding the terrorists. or george bush. was raised ten times less. now slowly a new breed of republicans they finally got it right they will agree to release it best they are possible that but their commensurate spending cuts clips the great let's just call. it x. . y. or x. . well the funny thing of course is that. those republicans that are the republican

leadership those that are the most vocal the john boehner is the eric cantor is the major mcconnell's they're not part of the new breed these are the same guys that did raise the debt ceiling a number of times under the bush administration and suddenly act like this is just a pro posterous idea that they could never imagine doing it i didn't bring to. you. for yours i thank you the leadership here is right the people who are supposedly in charge of their party but i want to get back to these to these ratings because you said oh who cares about the ratings well internationally how do investors how do those that are buying u.s. treasuries these ratings have to mean something that. these aren't generally sure. it's an issue. but not reach. but just. killed by it still in leisure trackable.

it looks like you get rich it will ease three to five years you know yes for. me to. say that. it. will. and. me oh right for me and i'm going to get rid of it all. if. it was cheap and. we. were. prosperity isn't working let's say in the u.k. right now they've already enacted a number of us parity measures and their economy isn't doing much better sir to saying that we're going to have to go through this very terrible miserable time

before anything can be rebuilt here willing to just literally throw millions of americans into a depression like state. of the reading but you know it requires a really you know why no one else to do it for you desire you i congress to vote on that and there was my i have i agreed about all longer does don't blame it on me although you said the word of blame because we were out of these people and a lot of you know just. watch. the process here well you basically. there's only one way to. show your. only way. i'm sure you. already might with yours. a lot of it is very

short. it. is much higher my goal when i want to thank you for joining us tonight and i don't think back on earth is going to happen who knows of the moment it does still. hanging by a string of us my thanks so much. thank you. i thought a concert i've a tabloid phone hacking scandal has the u.k. and i'll call it what is the same type of journalism happened here in the us and find out when we come back and as weeping hunger strike thousands of prisoners in california are injuring at least tales about it but a look at the demands of these prisoners are thinking before about never go. into it only when you're with the mechanisms to do the work of supreme justice or accountability. i have every right to know what my government should do if you want

to know why i pay taxes. i would characterize obama as a charismatic version of american exceptionalism. you know sometimes you see a story and it seems so sorely sleep you think you understand it and then he glimpse something else you hear see some other part of it and realize that everything is ok if you don't i'm trying hard look at the big picture. let's not forget that we had an apartheid. i think. either one well.

whatever government says they're confused safe get ready because you give them their freedom. well the hacking scandal at rupert murdoch's media empire seems to be growing by

the day both the f.b.i. and the justice department here in the u.s. are now investigating claims the victims of the nine eleven attacks were hacked by reporters from one of murdoch's tabloids meanwhile rebecca brooks the editor of the news of the world tabloid resigned overnight she was at the helm of the paper when it closed last week amid allegations that hacked the phones of celebrities the royal family and of course a murder girl's voice mail now today we learned that rupert murdoch himself met with the family of milly dowler that's a thirteen year old girl who was murdered in two thousand and two and at the time she was missing the news of the world is accused of hacking into her voice mail and listening to her messages even deleting some of that which led milly family and all the worries to believe that she was alive because of the deleted messages now this week and murdoch has taken out a whole page ad and all of his u.k. papers offering up an apology but is that going to be an up the news of the world scandals cause a huge outcry for reforms of journalism in the u.k. and discussed right here at home are already missing that same type of journalism

happening right here in the u.s. they see it you're going to take a look at tabloid journalism in america. sex drugs cheating and lies for me political scandal sloshing dirty laundry receive beat up celebrity gossip and crime stories almost the odds human imagination. over this is served on a platter and sold for a couple of quarters writes outboards headless man and so it was before most of the secure was in the freezer. like i thought it veteran journalist michael musto is one of millions falling for the bait of catchy headlines even though he knows the business inside out in america we don't break the law per se but they do have sleazy tactics i mean they will slant a story they probably make up sources i mean when you read in a source of anonymous source said well who is it many times they can just make up

the quote themselves and they say joe smith from queen said well a lot of times i feel they're just inventing these quotes to back up the thesis of the story fascination with scandal is almost religiously observed in the u.s. and great britain we are both countries and both media environments where gossip sells and there's a tremendous interest in celebrity both countries are but after rupert murdoch's news of the world newspaper phone hacking shocker broke in london his empire stretches far and wide across the u.s. as well let's not forget he owns the new york post the wall street journal and the daily at a protest outside murdoch's big apple i pad protesters demanded an investigation into his publications that we know what murdoch does in england because he was caught and we want congress to investigate what he's doing here in the united states we don't know if newspapers are hacking other people in this country yet but i see no reason to put it past them so how far from potential public embarrassment

do american newspapers stand the ones that are owned by rupert murdoch without question the new york post. is one of the most hideous deceitful. tools of the of criminals that there could be when it comes to getting scandal sold in the u.s. counting on the readers short attention span is a common publishing trick jennifer aniston and brad pitt have gotten together about forty two times so far this year and i haven't seen progress together since two thousand and six they were able to keep selling and repackaging the same story that isn't even a story no good look asian british myth to paying for it for me. but that's also often a technicality what a lot of mainstream news publications can get away with doing is even though they won't explicitly give someone money in exchange for an interview someone might set up a terrible organization and then the news will happen to donate twenty thousand dollars to that charitable organization the culture of sensationalism in the press is putting the future of journalism on the line the anglo-american style is its trash

its ribald. just sort of this film is very american you know we're a juvenile society we're young society i don't really know what they were excuses i mean they've been around a long time but. we blame it on them because we're their children while some will always remain fascinated by tabloids as right continue to sell others have reached a breaking point i don't have that great of a sense of what happens in britain but i know it's pretty bad here and there are a lot of people who are really upset about the culture of news in america and just how little information seems to get out there between all the gossip the press has to be vigilant and in the united states the press has fallen asleep and you know thirty. well this is the second week of a prisoner hunger strike that's taking place right now in california and some peer inanely to deaths thousands of prisoners across the state of joining together in a protest that began in the security housing unit at the pelican bay state prison

but the california department of corrections and rehabilitation is now admitting that over six thousand inmates across the tate state are refusing meals and become the largest hunger strike in over ten years to hit the troubled california prison system and the f.a.q. and pelican bay prison is one of the oldest and largest isolation units in the country with over a thousand prisoners in isolation and they say that it's designed to monitor control and isolate only the most dangerous of prisoners but striking prisoners are trying to draw attention to and it peacefully protest what they call twenty five years of torture here this. as arbitrary illegal and progressive progressive we punitive practices and some of the demands include an end to long term solitary confinement an adequate and nutritious food some striking prisoners say that they feel no meaningful change will come until prisoners start dying so will the state let it go that far and if they do what does that say about our prison system joining me from our studio in los angeles is clyde young revolutionary communist

and former president thank you so much for joining us tonight now for starters do you have any updates for us as to the latest on whether any negotiations are going on in this prison strike oh thank you for having me on first of all the latest report that i have received is that there have been negotiations and perhaps those negotiations are going on today as well but that they started yesterday between the leaders of the strike. and also their mediators on the outside but no substantial progress has been made in those negotiations and the right to say that it's outrageous that the prison authorities have allowed this situation to progress as far as it has with the person whose health is in serious jeopardy without you know giving serious considerations to the millions that they varies which are alleged which are just and legitimate well you know you mentioned i acquired some of these demands are they include things like adequate food access to natural light warmer

clothing and one phone call a month those sound like basic just a man's and yet up until this point the c.d.r. see wasn't even willing to negotiate i just can't understand why they would pretend they were where they would act like those demands are really radical. yes well i think it shows you something it tells you something about the callous nature of the prison authorities these days i was in prison myself eight years ago and i served time in isolation for months but never years and decades and one of the most poignant things that was said in a letter from a prisoner recently was that prisoners who are incarcerated in pelican bay and eyes are in pelican bay i should say. actually do not see the sun for decades and another thing just for your viewing audience to understand the nature of the problem they do don't hear music for decades just imagine being in the situation

where you hear music no more well could you tell us about your personality actuation like you said again you were in solitary confinement for a time a lot of international organizations would say that that's something that amounted to torture would you describe it that way. i would absolutely describe it that way if you look at the conditions and i'd like to focus on the conditions the tens of thousands of prisoners of facing today. their estimates are up to as high as one hundred thousand prisoners are or confined in isolation cells and at pelican bay what i understand is the prisoners are in a cell no larger than small bathroom they have a concrete slab protruding from the wall which is their beer and they have a sink in the toilet and it's a soundproof room and there i mean i should say it's a soundproof where prisoners have described as the tomb and they're confined there for twenty two and a half hours a day and whenever they leave their cells they have to be handcuffed in cavity

search this is nothing less than torture to convey in human beings under these circumstances and i think there's absolutely no justification for it at all well the thing is that california prison system will try to tell you that they place people in isolation that are only the most dangerous of criminals and they do this in order to break up the gang violence within california prisons as well but has any of that actually stopped is it gang violence inside prisons worse than it ever has been. well you know i don't exactly and i don't want to speak to the claims that the prison authorities have made but what i will say is this there's absolutely no justification for confining any human being in the kind of circumstances that i've described not only the cells that i've described where they're confined for twenty two and a half hours a day but oftentimes they're denied reading material and they're also prevented from you know having materials like colored pencils so that they can draw

and they hear no music i mean just think of yourself if you were confined to a small space for ten twenty thirty years and have no access to music or anything like that this is just torture this is absolutely no justification for either inside the borders of the us or outside the borders in the us and you think why do you why do you think we don't hear more of an uproar about this is because so many americans don't realize how many people are sitting in solitary confinement and suffering within the u.s. or is it because we have this tough on crime attitude where you say that these people deserve battery and they're criminals lock him up and treat him however you think that. let me answer that question in two ways i think that yes there is an attitude of climate in the country of being tough on crime but one of the reasons why so many people were incarcerated and in prison period to begin with you have to point million to two point three million people incarcerated in prisons this has everything to do with the fact that the upsurge in the one nine hundred sixty s.

didn't go all the way to a revolution and here you see what is a repressive steps that have been taken by the system to actually say that something like that will never happen again in this country and it was people like the ones that are confined at pelican bay and all across this country not only in solitary confinement units but also in prisons. black and latino those in overwhelming majority of black and latino people should read michelle alexander this book called the new jim crow mass incarceration in the age of colorblindness to get more details on this particular situation of the mass incarceration the racially targeted mass incarceration of people across this land now clyde lastly like i said so this is going been going on for more than two weeks now apparently some of these prisoners reportedly are and horrible health some are saying that they're willing to die for this cause here think they're worse than fatalities here that that would change the system at all. right i think first of all i think the

prisoners have said that they're willing to die but they don't want to the demands that they raise are completely chest and legitimate demands are not outrageous demands you have articulated what some of them are they've also said the into long term solitary confinement and also the end to the practice of what the prison officials call gang validation or someone on the word of another prisoner or on the word of a guard with absolutely no evidence whatsoever can be labeled as a gang member and confined and pelican bay in security units so i think this is just completely outrageous the second thing i want to say is that the prisoners are the health of many of the prisoners are in grave it's a grave situation in terms of their health their deteriorating and i think it really requires for the public and the public has actually been duped it's important to say that the public has been duped in this situation and these prisoners have been labeled they've been demonized they've been incarcerated on a massive scale and people.